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Big Roof Britain Solar Payback Index Standing Charge Drag

Solar Panels in OL8 (Oldham)

See if solar pays off for you in Oldham — price, savings and payback in under a minute (official UK data).

Solar Calculator

Change the settings below to see how costs and savings work for your situation.

System Size

Roof Direction

Battery Storage

Export Value

Your Numbers

Break-even
14.4 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£8,138
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£564
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£5,952
After paying itself off, you're this much ahead

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How we calculate this

Solar generation: Based on typical south-facing roof at 35° angle. We account for weather, dirt, and system losses (14%).

How much you'll use directly:

  • Without battery: You'll use about 40% of what you generate. The rest gets sold back to the grid.
  • With 5 kWh battery: You'll use about 70% (battery stores extra for evening use).
  • With 10 kWh battery: You'll use about 75% (more storage means less exported).
  • Panel-only payback: Bigger systems don’t shorten payback—cost and savings rise together per kW.
  • Battery & payback: Batteries raise self-use and cut bills, but added hardware cost often lengthens break-even at typical UK rates.
  • When a battery can still make sense:
    • Evening-heavy usage patterns
    • Time-of-use tariffs / cheap night rates
    • Low export rate vs. high unit rate
    • Heat pump or EV charging synergy
    • Optional backup/resilience (system-dependent)
    • Lower evening-hour CO₂ vs. grid

Costs: Battery prices are typically £700 per kWh. Export tariffs vary by supplier (usually 5–15p per kWh).

Grid connection: Systems up to about 3.7 kW typically need just a notification (G98). Larger systems may need permission (G99).

These are typical values based on average usage patterns. Your actual results will vary based on your roof, shading, and how you use electricity.

Your area in context

In North West, the current unit rate is 27.11p/kWh with a 51.16p/day standing charge. Your postcode’s south-facing sunshine yield is 837 kWh/kW — 34 below the regional median (870).

Read the full story

A typical roof here lands around 4.0 kW, with most eligible homes comfortably fitting within 3–6 kW. Each kilowatt of panels produces roughly 837 kWh per year on a south-facing roof. We value self-used electricity at 27.1p and exported surplus at a baseline 10p via SEG. Use the calculator above for your exact tariff.

Unit rate
27.1p/kWh
Standing charge
51.2p/day
Sunshine yield (south)
837 kWh/kW
Export price (baseline)
10p/kWh

Browse the scenarios below. Each battery size has its own expand — open the one that matches your plan (or just explore). For each system size (2–8 kW) we show annual output, how much you use directly, what gets exported, annual benefit, upfront cost, break-even, and a 20-year net. Negative numbers are possible — that’s the honest trade-off when adding more battery than your usage profile justifies.

No battery 5 kW example → Annual benefit: £705, Upfront: £10,173, Break-even: 14.4 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1673 kWh 669 kWh 1004 kWh £181 £100 £282 £4,069 14.4 yrs £1,567
3 kW 2510 kWh 1004 kWh 1506 kWh £272 £151 £423 £6,104 14.4 yrs £2,351
4 kW 3346 kWh 1338 kWh 2008 kWh £363 £201 £564 £8,138 14.4 yrs £3,134
5 kW 4183 kWh 1673 kWh 2510 kWh £454 £251 £705 £10,173 14.4 yrs £3,918
6 kW 5019 kWh 2008 kWh 3011 kWh £544 £301 £845 £12,207 14.4 yrs £4,701
7 kW 5856 kWh 2342 kWh 3513 kWh £635 £351 £986 £14,242 14.4 yrs £5,485
8 kW 6692 kWh 2677 kWh 4015 kWh £726 £402 £1,127 £16,276 14.4 yrs £6,268

Assumptions: south-facing, sensible tilt; self-use shares from site rules; export at 10p baseline. Costs: panels £/kW = 2,035, battery £/kWh = 700.

3 kWh battery 5 kW example → Annual benefit: £848, Upfront: £12,273, Break-even: 14.5 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1673 kWh 1004 kWh 669 kWh £272 £67 £339 £6,169 18.2 yrs £612
3 kW 2510 kWh 1506 kWh 1004 kWh £408 £100 £509 £8,204 16.1 yrs £1,968
4 kW 3346 kWh 2008 kWh 1338 kWh £544 £134 £678 £10,238 15.1 yrs £3,324
5 kW 4183 kWh 2510 kWh 1673 kWh £680 £167 £848 £12,273 14.5 yrs £4,680
6 kW 5019 kWh 3011 kWh 2008 kWh £816 £201 £1,017 £14,307 14.1 yrs £6,036
7 kW 5856 kWh 3513 kWh 2342 kWh £952 £234 £1,187 £16,342 13.8 yrs £7,393
8 kW 6692 kWh 4015 kWh 2677 kWh £1,089 £268 £1,356 £18,376 13.5 yrs £8,749

Assumptions: south-facing, sensible tilt; self-use shares from site rules; export at 10p baseline. Costs: panels £/kW = 2,035, battery £/kWh = 700.

5 kWh battery 5 kW example → Annual benefit: £919, Upfront: £13,673, Break-even: 14.9 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1673 kWh 1171 kWh 502 kWh £317 £50 £368 £7,569 20.6 yrs £-215
3 kW 2510 kWh 1757 kWh 753 kWh £476 £75 £552 £9,604 17.4 yrs £1,427
4 kW 3346 kWh 2342 kWh 1004 kWh £635 £100 £735 £11,638 15.8 yrs £3,069
5 kW 4183 kWh 2928 kWh 1255 kWh £794 £125 £919 £13,673 14.9 yrs £4,712
6 kW 5019 kWh 3513 kWh 1506 kWh £952 £151 £1,103 £15,707 14.2 yrs £6,354
7 kW 5856 kWh 4099 kWh 1757 kWh £1,111 £176 £1,287 £17,742 13.8 yrs £7,996
8 kW 6692 kWh 4685 kWh 2008 kWh £1,270 £201 £1,471 £19,776 13.4 yrs £9,639

Assumptions: south-facing, sensible tilt; self-use shares from site rules; export at 10p baseline. Costs: panels £/kW = 2,035, battery £/kWh = 700.

7.5 kWh battery 5 kW example → Annual benefit: £941, Upfront: £15,423, Break-even: 16.4 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1673 kWh 1221 kWh 452 kWh £331 £45 £376 £9,319 24.8 yrs £-1,794
3 kW 2510 kWh 1832 kWh 678 kWh £497 £68 £564 £11,354 20.1 yrs £-65
4 kW 3346 kWh 2443 kWh 903 kWh £662 £90 £753 £13,388 17.8 yrs £1,663
5 kW 4183 kWh 3053 kWh 1129 kWh £828 £113 £941 £15,423 16.4 yrs £3,391
6 kW 5019 kWh 3664 kWh 1355 kWh £993 £136 £1,129 £17,457 15.5 yrs £5,119
7 kW 5856 kWh 4275 kWh 1581 kWh £1,159 £158 £1,317 £19,492 14.8 yrs £6,847
8 kW 6692 kWh 4885 kWh 1807 kWh £1,324 £181 £1,505 £21,526 14.3 yrs £8,576

Assumptions: south-facing, sensible tilt; self-use shares from site rules; export at 10p baseline. Costs: panels £/kW = 2,035, battery £/kWh = 700.

10 kWh battery 5 kW example → Annual benefit: £955, Upfront: £17,173, Break-even: 18.0 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1673 kWh 1255 kWh 418 kWh £340 £42 £382 £11,069 29.0 yrs £-3,429
3 kW 2510 kWh 1882 kWh 627 kWh £510 £63 £573 £13,104 22.9 yrs £-1,644
4 kW 3346 kWh 2510 kWh 837 kWh £680 £84 £764 £15,138 19.8 yrs £142
5 kW 4183 kWh 3137 kWh 1046 kWh £850 £105 £955 £17,173 18.0 yrs £1,927
6 kW 5019 kWh 3764 kWh 1255 kWh £1,021 £125 £1,146 £19,207 16.8 yrs £3,713
7 kW 5856 kWh 4392 kWh 1464 kWh £1,191 £146 £1,337 £21,242 15.9 yrs £5,498
8 kW 6692 kWh 5019 kWh 1673 kWh £1,361 £167 £1,528 £23,276 15.2 yrs £7,284

Assumptions: south-facing, sensible tilt; self-use shares from site rules; export at 10p baseline. Costs: panels £/kW = 2,035, battery £/kWh = 700.

13.5 kWh battery 5 kW example → Annual benefit: £969, Upfront: £19,623, Break-even: 20.2 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1673 kWh 1288 kWh 385 kWh £349 £38 £388 £13,519 34.9 yrs £-5,765
3 kW 2510 kWh 1932 kWh 577 kWh £524 £58 £582 £15,554 26.7 yrs £-3,922
4 kW 3346 kWh 2576 kWh 770 kWh £698 £77 £775 £17,588 22.7 yrs £-2,079
5 kW 4183 kWh 3221 kWh 962 kWh £873 £96 £969 £19,623 20.2 yrs £-236
6 kW 5019 kWh 3865 kWh 1154 kWh £1,048 £115 £1,163 £21,657 18.6 yrs £1,606
7 kW 5856 kWh 4509 kWh 1347 kWh £1,222 £135 £1,357 £23,692 17.5 yrs £3,449
8 kW 6692 kWh 5153 kWh 1539 kWh £1,397 £154 £1,551 £25,726 16.6 yrs £5,292

Assumptions: south-facing, sensible tilt; self-use shares from site rules; export at 10p baseline. Costs: panels £/kW = 2,035, battery £/kWh = 700.

Figures are illustrative and use the same method as the calculator above. For exact results, adjust your roof direction, tariff, and usage in the calculator.

Insights for OL8

Figures below are tailored to OL8 — click through for full league tables.

Big-Roof Britain Rank #1709 of 2182
4.5 kWp (UK avg 5.1 kWp)
~9 panels (≈430 W)
Solar Payback Index Rank #2653 of 2997
12.5 years (UK avg 11.3 years)
~£649 /yr • £8,138 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #2612 of 2997
28.8% (UK avg 21.7%) drag on savings
£187 fixed • ~£649 /yr value

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
27.11p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
51.16p/day
Local Sunshine
837kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~837 kWh per year. A typical home uses ~2,700 kWh per year.
Typical System Size
4.0kW
For houses & bungalows in this area

Local Property Data

Property Types

Houses: 79% • Flats: 14% • Bungalows: 6% Based on 10,801 properties

Coverage

Oldham (100%)

Areas Covered

Hollinwood, Medlock Vale, Alexandra, Werneth, St Mary's, Coldhurst, Failsworth East, Chadderton South

Data Sources & Assumptions

Solar yield: PVGIS (EU Joint Research Centre), January 2025 data

Electricity rates: Ofgem price cap, Q4 2025

Installation costs: MCS certified installer data, March 2025

Property data: EPC open data (Open Government Licence), aggregated

All estimates are typical values. Actual results vary based on your specific situation, roof characteristics, and usage patterns.

Compare nearby areas

Nearby in North West

OL1 (Oldham)
≈2.1 km away
Local sunshine: ~829 kWh/kWp · -1% vs OL8
OL9 (Oldham)
≈2.1 km away
Local sunshine: ~831 kWh/kWp · -1% vs OL8
OL4 (Oldham)
≈3.1 km away
Local sunshine: ~837 kWh/kWp · +0% vs OL8
OL95 (Oldham)
≈3.4 km away
Local sunshine: ~830 kWh/kWp · -1% vs OL8
M35 (Oldham)
≈3.6 km away
Local sunshine: ~848 kWh/kWp · +1% vs OL8
OL6 (Tameside)
≈4.5 km away
Local sunshine: ~842 kWh/kWp · +1% vs OL8

Similar sunshine across the UK

EH55 (West Lothian)
~837 kWh/kWp · +0% vs OL8
EH38 (Scottish Borders)
~837 kWh/kWp · +0% vs OL8
IV16 (Highland)
~836 kWh/kWp · -0% vs OL8